Hopeless Endeavor
by renegadewriter8
Summary: After the mistakes and horrors of the Civil War, Steve and Tony feel that the only way to keep the Young Avengers safe is to disband them. Needless to say, the Young Avengers have something to say about it.


Steve Rogers looked at the children waiting in the meeting room. They had lost their nervous posture and now sat -some stood- around each other and were talking. Just talking. There was teasing involved, a few jokes here and there, a few laughs… none of it was helping Steve see them as something other than kids .

The Young Avengers, teens that had been thrown into a battle that could have killed them, technically by the same person that had brought them together in the first place. Cap didn't know if he should be thankful to Nathaniel for knitting this new group of superheroes that were already a family, or be angry at him for the danger he put them in.

God he couldn't imagine any of them hurt. Not hardheaded Eli nor innocent and sweet Cassie. Not tough and smart Kate, stoic but kind Vision or mischievous Tommy. And not thoughtful and caring Teddy, or gentle Billy. They were all such good kids, each with their own problems and pasts, but all of a maturity that astounded him.

Through thick and thin they had stood together. They'd had their fights and disagreements, but had gotten through them in one piece, their bonds stronger than before. They could all learn from them.

"Steve."

The Captain sighed, stepping back from the small opening he had been watching them through, turning to stare at Tony.

"I'm not sure about this."

Iron Man let out a small groan, clearly just as upset about it as he was. "You know it's for the best. After the war…" He fell silent, the events still haunting him, the things he did, people, friends he hurt replaying over and over. Tony still felt like he was in the right, but he could have approached it in so many different ways. Ways that would have given everyone what they wanted and more. But what was done is done, and now he wanted to do what was right for these children, even if they would hate him for it all over again. "Steve, they almost died. I shot Wiccan and took him prisoner. Patriot was almost blown up because he was invulnerable. Cassie was forced to leave her team because she was terrified after seeing Goliath killed…" He shook his head. They had all gone through so much. Reed and Sue were still on bad terms, Peter still wouldn't talk to him, many Avengers were giving either him or Steve the cold shoulder, and the public was not happy. But they were all adults, they could handle it, knew the consequences. The Young Avengers had fought for what they believed in, but they should have never have needed to. Not against their own mentors and friends.

"We're going to go in there and disband them, once and for all. I won't take no for an answer."

Steve looked up at that, his eyes narrowed. "And if they don't? Are you going to lock them up?" There was a threat hidden under there, they both knew it. Captain America had warned him about harming his boys when Tony had first shot Wiccan and Cloak. He was protective of everyone on his team, but the YA even more so.

"No Steve you know I'd never-" He trailed off, looking away. He couldn't finish that sentence, not when he had already proved he would. "Look, they can't do this, they need to learn how to follow orders, they need to…I just want them safe."

"You know it's not that simple. We tried to disband them once, they didn't back out, in fact, they saved our lives. They stopped a Skrull and Kree invasion when they came for Teddy, they saved countless people, they fought with us, they… they're good kids, kids that have become a family, Tony. If we take this away we take that away and they will never forgive us for it." He ran a hand over his face. "You know they won't stop. We can lock them up, separate them, tell their parents, they will never give up, they will fight this with everything they've got. The kids have allies, the Runaways for one, and the Pride's kids aren't to be underestimated. Many Avengers will take their side, and then there's their own abilities. Billy could wipe us all off the face of the Earth with a thought and I really don't want to be the person that pushed the kid to pull a Scarlet Which on us. Kate could use her father's power to destroy us, maybe not you Tony, but she'll take her revenge any way she can. I don't really want Teddy coming after me, nor Vision. Tommy could blow us up before we blink, and Cassie can step on us." He listed off.

Iron Man paced for a moment, an outburst of laughter tearing them from their thoughts.

"We can come to an agreement with them." Steve said after Teddy's booming laughter stopped echoing off the walls. "We could be more involved in their lives, train them like they asked for in the beginning, take them on missions with us, make them part of our lives as well. Right now, all they have is an association, but out there, unless one of us happens to be around, they're completely alone."

Tony sighed again, more deeply than before. He didn't like it. If he were any of the kids' parents he would ground them for life for going out at night and seeking people with guns and powers. But the Captain was right, and he hated that even more.

"Fine."

**000000000000**

Tommy could feel something was off. He had felt is as soon as they'd been summoned to the Avenger's tower. The speedster had always had that sixth sense when it came to trouble or danger. Not at a Spider-Man level, but he knew. Growing up as he did, Tommy was streetwise, and his questionable activities had made his mind sharp and instincts heightened.

He really didn't care what the Avengers were going to say, he rarely cared, only staying because of the people he now -in a very secret part of his mind that he would never acknowledge out loud- called his friends and family. He stayed close to Billy, his dork and sometimes air headed twin, because when trouble came he was sure not even Teddy was enough to get him out of it. Kate could handle herself, which he found scary, kind of hot, but scary. Eli would take anyone down and probably yell at anyone that tried to help him, but they all knew he secretly loved them. Cassie and Vision were always watching each other's back, and had a good foolproof plan of taking out their opponents. Mainly Vision making sure they didn't move and Cassie kicking them to the next state.

Tommy really didn't want to see any of them hurt, and he really didn't want to have to chose who he saved, but if he was forced to make that decision it would be his twin. Plus he was so fast he could probably save them all if it ever came down to that; he wasn't worried.

So when the door opened and Steve walked in with Tony not far behind, both with serious expressions, he couldn't help but tense, taking a small step closer to the group. This was not missed by the rest of the Young Avengers, turning to stare at the newcomers. They weren't as distrustful as Speed, but they had learned to trust his instincts, and if he was wary, so were they.

Eli stood, immediately taking the position of leader, making it clear that anything they had to say, anything they did, would first have to be met by him. Teddy was already in Hulking mode, his presence powerful and demanding caution. The rest of the group had their own imposing stances, and the glares sent their way -Kate and Tommy- made Steve feel like he was the one about to be lectured.

It was a drastic change from the recently happy and easy-going atmosphere, from the childish display they had seen. Now… they looked like warriors. Steve felt proud, but very sad. They had grown up too fast.

"Sit down kids." Tony said, pulling out a chair for himself. The ones in charge of the pissed off, intimidating you're-so-screwed glares only glared harder. Only when Eli sat down did the others move to take a seat. Their places were obvious. On Eli's right sat Kate, next was Cassie, and closing that branch was Vision. To his left sat Billy, followed by Teddy and Tommy, the speedster silently daring them to do anything.

"Why did you call us here?" He asked in irritation before Tony could speak.

The billionaire looked as irritated as Speed did by his behavior, something that made Tommy feel smug, and he wasn't afraid to show it. Steve sighed. This had not been how he had seen this playing out. These children weren't afraid of them. They respected them sure, admired them even. But the moment they presented one hint of trouble for any of them, all that went out the window, and hello hostility.

"We have a proposition for you." Fearless Young Avengers they might be, but they had no talent when it came to poker faces, their surprise evident. At least for most of them. Vision didn't count.

"What is it?" Cassie asked, curious but wary.

Steve really didn't feel like being in this room. He hadn't expected this strong of a unified front. This was not going to go well, the teens had already reached an independent level they couldn't hope to break, and making them work with adults would make them feel like they were being babysat or watched. Steve wondered if he could reach for his shield fast enough.

"You'll be starting training with us, a senior member will always be with you on patrol, and you will be coming here after school ends instead of YA Headquarters." Way to lead into it Tony. Was all Captain America could think about, and true to his predictions, the expressions on the young Avengers' faces changed slowly, from surprised, to scandalized, to angry.

Then everyone exploded.

"You can't be serious!"

"Oh now, now after everything we've been through you want to train us!?"

"What are we, four years old?"

"I do not see how this will be helpful."

"The fuck is wrong with you!? You want to babysit us!?"

"Sir, with all due respect-"

"This is a joke right? Because I really don't think-"

"ENOUGH!" Tony snapped, glaring at each member of the group.

Eli had stood up, shoulders tense and hands clenched into fists. Tommy and Kate had also risen, each with a threatening stance. Tommy's more so. Vision was sending them disapproving looks! Teddy was glaring, silently communicating his own disappointment and Billy looked slightly bored and annoyed, but was very determined in making his unhappiness known. Cassie was not so much as glaring but looking pensive and Steve wondered if she was actually thinking about stepping on them. She did look suddenly taller.

"This is not up for discussion, you-"

"Don't have to listen to you!" Eli snapped. "From the beginning none of you have ever wanted anything to do with us but you let us run around, so we trained by ourselves, trained together, went out and risked our lives for others, we fought in a war youcreated, where we had to run or be captured and incarcerated. Did you know Wiccan was coughing up blood for hours due to that thing they put around his neck?" Tony hadn't known, and now Teddy's and Tommy's glares were darker and near murderous. "Cassie was so damn scared of you she changed sides to escape from whatever you had planned for us if you caught us." Cassie looked down at this, still feeling like she had betrayed them. Vision and Katie put a reassuring hand on his should, before they looked back up. Kate's glare turned more hateful. "We fought friends and we took care of each other and saved a lot of the senior Avengers. We got through the war and back into our lives, lives none of you were part of unless you were checking up on us. So if you think you can come up and control us, you're gonna be disappointed big time."

Silence never sounded so horrible. Steve was not ashamed to admit he wanted to hide under the table. But he had to say something before the kids walked out of there and proclaimed the Avengers their mortal enemies.

"Eli." He started softly. "We don't want to babysit you. You're right we haven't been part of your hero lives and we did deny training you. But we've realized those mistakes and we want to make up for them. We care about you, all of you, this war almost broke everyone, and a lot of realizations were made. This, was one of them."

The expressions on the teen's faces changed; there was still suspicion, and still angry for past slights, but they were accompanied by something else. Some looked hopeful and relieved, some looked touched, Tommy still looked pissed, and Eli wasn't going to back down any time soon, but he seemed… proud, like he had been waiting for them to admit how much they had screwed up in the past… or maybe he was simply feeling smug.

"You've proven you're capable of taking care of yourselves, we know you're stronger than you look and smarter. So let us work together, learn from each other." He smiled. "You're young in age, but I think soon you'll all be great Avengers."

Tony was looking very much relieved at his side. He should, the idiot almost got all of them maimed, but he was also smiling, realizing what Steve had said was right.

"I know the first few times we try this we're going to hit some rough patches, and we'll step on each other toes every now and then, but this is something we want to do." He added.

The team listened intently, before seemingly closing them off and having a silent conversation. It was something Steve would come to envy, how close they were, how they could communicate with simple gestures. Any movement, even micro ticks were used in their language, and how they were all equal. The opinions of everyone was heard and considered, before reaching an unanimous decision.

"Fine." Eli said, sitting back down. "But there are conditions, and rules, and there will be terms that you will accept or there is no deal. First..."

Tony barely managed to repress a groan and Steve sighed. Just what had they gotten themselves into?

* * *

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